LOL Oh yes, our city council is so ethical.
Council cash called slush fund STAR component is criticized, but members say neighborhoods benefit
BY TONI COLEMAN Pioneer Press
In 1997, the St. Paul City Council took some leftover sales tax money from the city's STAR program and split it equally to distribute as each of the seven council members saw fit.
The city calls it the Neighborhood Investment Initiative program; critics call it a slush fund.
Up until the council created the program, anyone who had a brick-and-mortar improvement idea for St. Paul - from a playground to a neighborhood coffee shop - could apply to the city's STAR (Sales Tax Revitalization) program, which over the past decade has pumped more than $60 million into improvement projects throughout the city via a half-percent sales tax. Then, a citizens board would review the application and make a recommendation to the City Council.
Now, groups have another option and a way to circumvent the elaborate, months-long review process, and that's raising concerns.
To date, the council has designated more than $4 million for members to distribute to neighborhood groups, businesses and city departments that can skip the regular vetting process. There is no set annual amount for council members, and the allocations almost always in the form of grants have varied widely year to year.
link: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/11188365.htm
While Mayor Kelly has to convince people to win support, I guess the city council just buys it.
Dennis Tester Mac-Groveland
----- Original Message ----- From: "CRISTY DELACRUZ" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 12:43 PM
Subject: [StPaul] Thank you for standing up
Council Member Helgen,
Thank you (and others) for standing up against blatant abuses of power by Mayor Kelly. It is high time the citizens had a leader who they can trust and will represent them in the most honest and ethical manner. I appreciate what you and others have done to make the process of policy-making more transparent and less about Kelly's bullying of council members and their constituents.
Cristy
P.S. I think it was well worth it to have worked on your campaign! Keep up the good work.
* * * * * * * * * * * Cristy A. De La Cruz Highland Park
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